Tucson Speaks Out: February 15

The 'loser' badge of honor

I applaud the courage and patriotism of some of our Olympic athletes who exercised their right to free speech on the international Olympic stage, expressing their feelings about what is going on in our country. Donald Trump called one of them a "loser" — one of his favorite derogatory terms. Curious what a "loser" really is? A "loser" is a president who posts video depicting a former black president and his wife as apes. (This from someone who claims to be the least racist person on earth). This loser blatantly displays his bone-deep, politically calculated racism via his policies and his dismantling of anything previously designed to acknowledge and/or recognize people of color and Native Americans; their history and contributions. That is the mark of a loser.

Deb Klumpp

Oro Valley

Why I'm voting no on Props 418, 419

It isn’t just because Living Streets Alliance recommended against it. Will adding more lanes make traffic better? Nope. Road widening is a sunk cost fallacy, more lanes means more cars, etc. Besides, why lay more asphalt that will have to be repaired later that will sink us more into debt? Our focus should be repairing the roads we already have and focus our tax money towards bike paths, true BRTs, and sidewalks. That’s not to mention the mismanagement, broken promises, and not listening to the public. Voting down these propositions will force RTA Next to draft a new plan that would benefit everyone. There are so many people who don’t want to drive but are forced to. Imagine if those who don’t want to drive, aren’t. Those who do want to drive would have little to no traffic to deal with. As a young person who really doesn’t want to drive a two-ton money sink, please vote no on Props 418 and 419.

Ryland Plassmann

Midtown

Trump keeps a promise

Trump kept his promise.

Trump told us that he was going after “the worst of the worst”, the rapist, murderers, (etc.) An article in last Thursday’s Daily Star shows us how he has done that: “Misconduct a concern as ICE expands”. It details how ICE has hired people with a history of assaulting their girlfriends, sexually abusing prisoners in their care, taking bribes, abusing authority, being involved in human trafficking, and assorted other crimes.

When Trump says he is going after “the worst of the worst”, apparently he means he is recruiting them for his ICE missions. It’s time to demand higher standards from those in power, because protecting our communities should never mean recruiting those who have already betrayed the public’s trust.

John McConnaughey

Oro Valley

RTA Next

Pima County stands at a crossroads: We can either improve our community or move backward. Having lived in Tucson for over 50 years, both within the City and the County, I’ve seen our region grow and change. RTA Next is the clear path forward.

This isn't a political issue, nor a "cars vs. transit" debate. The plan is balanced, directing 27% of funds to Public Transit and over $250 million (11%) toward safety. Furthermore, 52% to 55% of the funding is dedicated to projects within the City.

Critics point to the past, but the RTA Board has acknowledged previous mistakes and is under dynamic new leadership. Who hasn't made mistakes? Those hurdles shouldn't stop us from moving forward.

Remember, this is not a new tax, but a continuation of the existing half-cent rate. By supporting RTA Next, we choose to maintain our momentum and invest in a safer, more connected future. Let’s choose progress over stagnation.

Art Wadlund

Foothills

Thanks, Loni, for Tucson Giving

Many thanks to Loni Nannini for nearly 26 years of writing weekly Tucson Giving columns! Ending with Interfaith Community Services Empty Bowls fundraiser was spot on. Wonderful organization and a fantastic event. Tucson and Southern Arizona is a better place, Loni, thanks to you encouraging us to give, and everyone wins when we are kind and help others.

Shirley Maddox

East side

Naming rights for McKale Memorial Center

Disgusting. What won't the U of A do for $$$? What next, re-naming Old Main the "Copper World Historic Building"?

Perhaps the university would use the proceeds to do something for its students. Cutting tuition by 50% would be a good start.

A review of the Land Grant University Charter would be useful for U of A administrators.

Sadly, I’m ashamed to be an alumnus of this university.

Dennis Winsten

Northeast side

RTA subsidizes sprawl

In their Feb. 13 article “RTA Next tome hits homes,” Tim Steller and Charles Borla point out differences between backers and opponents of RTA Next. The former consists of many elected officials and business leaders, while the latter is made up of common folk.

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There’s another difference to these two groups – the first supports subsidizing sprawl. Between the initial RTA election in 2006 and 2024, 70 percent of Pima County’s total population growth of approximately 130,000 people took place outside the city of Tucson.

The original RTA plan anticipated this by focusing many projects, especially those that were completed on schedule, to these outlying areas. RTA Next continues this trend.

However, a majority of RTA Next tax money will be collected inside the Tucson city limits, but city projects will receive a minority of expenditures. As a result, the primary beneficiary will not be city residents. That's not fair and is the reason the plan should fail.

David Devine

Midtown

DHS funding

Congressional negotiations over Department of Homeland Security funding have stalled because Republicans demand that roving patrols of masked ICE agents be allowed to kick down doors without a judicial warrant.

Apparently, that's the way to Make America Great Again.

David Shannon

Midtown

RTA Next secret ballot?

So we are now asked to submit our ballot in an envelope which must have our signature, telephone number and date affixed before the ballot will be counted.

How are we to believe that the envelope will not be opened with my name and vote recorded? Oh, I know "trust us, we are the government"!

I voted this time. I may not vote in the next election if the same process is used.

Bill Frasca

Oro Valley

Rillito Downs a goner?

With the annual prime time Tucson events in full swing with the rodeo, gem show, film fest, jazz fest, book fair, UA basketball March Madness etc., one regular in the stellar lineup is apparently no longer a player. Rillito Downs, which annually hosted thousands of families and horse race fans every Saturdays and Sunday in February to April, is entering Year 3 dormant. Nary a word for months from the supervisors, County or UA regarding its fate. Rillito presented top-quality quarter horse racing since the 1940s and is a national historic site. It joins a growing number of race tracks shuttering around the country. The industry is basically barely hanging on for televised live streaming just another option attracting the odds-enamored wagering public.

Rillito had a charm. Old. Rickety. But a party every weekend. It will be missed.

Baird Thompson

Foothills

Silly Session 2.0 — sinister and dangerous

Bills to investigate chemtrails and Trump Derangement Syndrome are silly but harmless. Representative Michael Way’s HB 2136 “Civil terrorism; disorderly conduct; subversion” bill is a sinister effort to suppress or erode Arizonans’ First, Fourth & Fifth Amendment rights by relabeling protests as “civil terrorism”. The violations of law the bill targets are already punishable as misdemeanors. Way seeks to make them felonies and to label protesters as “foreign agents and terrorists”. It has apparently escaped Representative Way’s attention, and that of Betsy DeVos’ New York City think tank behind the bill, that grand juries are increasingly not buying the creative policing and criminal justice silliness this bill seeks to make law.

Sheldon Clark

Vail

Re: Mail-in-voting

Just looked at my mail-in-voting packet. I'm concerned. My info on the back of the mail-in packet includes all my information including my name, address, precinct, signature and phone number for all to see. What the heck? Voting is supposed to be private. How is this "private"? Where is the insert envelope to keep it all private? The city paid an untold amount of money for printing their 1" debacle of explanations. I want privacy. This is just another nail in the coffin for dumocrats.

Linda Schaub

Southeast side

Tucson's RTA bang for buck

Thanks to Carolyn Thurman for her informative letter. She reports that 65% of completed RTA improvements have been in the City of Tucson, which at first sounds roughly commensurate with Tucson's revenue contribution. But, of course, not all projects are equal. This begs the question of what percentage of expenditures have gone to the City of Tucson. Does anyone know the answer?

Gary Solon

Midtown